Yasuhiro Uema, 9th dan Shorin-ryu Karate. The 78th sensei to be photographed for the Karate Masters Portrait Project. Shot before his dojo’s seminar at the Karate Kaikan in Okinawa on July 27th 2018. Thanks to Kenny Ueda of Ageshio Japan who organized the seminar and help set up the portrait session with Uema sensei. Born in 1945, Uema sensei is another example of karate keeping Okinawans flexible and strong even as they age.

Dell Hamby is the 77th Karate Master to be photographed for the Karate Masters Portrait Project. He is 6th dan Uechi-ryu Karate and 6th dan Ryukyu Kobudo Shimbukan. Originally from Switzerland, he now lives, teaches and trains in Okinawa. He studies Uechi-ryu under Yoshitsune Senaga (who we will be photographing in the coming weeks) and Ryukyu Kobudo under Hiroshi Akamine. He was one of four masters who took part in the Okinawa World Tournament Promotion Tour earlier in the year, and is one of the kobudo judges when the tournament is held next week. It was a pleasure to photograph Dell, a real gentleman and a great ambassador for Okinawan karate. The project has been on hold for the past year as we welcomed Jasmine to our family, but as things settle down we’ve been able to start things up again. My goal is to release the second volume in the series in time for the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2020. All images taken with the Pentax 645Z and the 90mm lens. Lighting from …

Another fun workshop. Spent the morning introducing the different types of lights and modifiers used in a professional photography studio. In the afternoon we photographed our model Brianda after makeup up artist Jessica Coupar worked her magic. Little Jasmine even joined in at the end of the shoot wearing her own baby uniform. Thank you to workshop participants Tyson and Angie for managing to join us during the heaviest rain in recent history! Thank you to Jessica Coupar for makeup, and Brianda for being our model. Finally thank you to Jasmine for bravely wearing a red shirt and surviving the mission.

My next video in collaboration with Skylum Software is now online. Loving the process of making videos, it is a real team effort. Huge thanks to everyone, this includes the model Brylee Williamson, the makeup artists Jessica Ochoa and CJ Palomo, Gary Hughes for video, Keith Gordon for the intro music, Kaley Kinjo for the song, Yuki for Japanese subtitles, and Hiroshi Tsuji for proofreading. Thanks also to Skylum Software for working with me and striving to create better and better products.

The next video in Yuki’s beginner photography series for Skylum Software is now on YouTube. Please check it out! If you could click like, subscribe to the channel or even share the video with friends that would be a huge help, and really appreciated! Enjoy!

In 2016, I was contacted by the team at Macphun Software who had come across my photography on the web. Macphun produces photo editing programs for Mac computers, and received Best of the Year awards from the Apple app store six years running. They were producing new inspirational content for their website and asked if I’d like to be involved. James Pankiewicz, Patrick Batac and I produced a behind the scenes video about The Karate Masters Portrait Project. In 2018, Macphun became SKYLUM software as it is no longer just Mac only. As its popularity grows around the world, Yuki and I are going to help introduce the software to the Japanese market. We’ve created a Japanese language YouTube series called the Shoshinsha Photographer Yuki (New Photographer Yuki) in which Yuki learns how to take photos, and edit the pictures with SKYLUM’s Luminar editing software. Episode 1 has a brief introduction then Yuki explores Bise Village in Motobu. Episode 2 is all about the 100 Kata for Karate Day event at new Karate Kaikan. Episode …

Día de los Muertos (Día de Muertos) is the Mexican holiday also known as Day of the Dead. Before Spanish colonization the holiday took place in summer, but is now celebrated on November 2nd, just after All Saints’ Eve (more commonly known as Halloween). For me, the festival seems to share more in common with Okinawa’s Obon celebrations than ghoulish Halloween. Halloween is usually thought of as night to scare away ghosts and monsters, but during Okinawa’s Obon and on Día de los Muertos families clean graves and tombs, decorate them, and give offerings of food. The departed are welcomed back to spend time with the family once again. Día de los Muertos celebrations were featured at the start of the Bond movie Spectre, and are the theme of the latest Disney / Pixar movie Coco. My friend Bernadette is Mexican American and we thought a Día de los Muertos inspired shoot would be fun. We collaborated with makeup artist Audra Pesicka who transformed Bernadette into “Catrina” with her distinctive skull. Images were shot with the Pentax 645Z and the 90mm …

A lovely multi-location early morning session with Angelo & Sheron from Hong Kong. Okinawa is such a great location to shoot. Gorgeous scenery and nice weather. And a beach all to ourselves. A few more shots at Cape Zanpa. And then headed to Zakimi Castle. Thanks for having us document your special day Angelo & Sheron! Hope you had a wonderful time in Okinawa, and hope to see you again soon 🙂 Images shot with the Pentax 645Z with Pentax SMC DA 645 25mm, Pentax K-1 with 24-70mm, Profoto B1 with OCF beauty dish and Priolite HotSync flash system. A big thanks to Yuki and Keith for assisting on the shoot.

Kyoto

Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Japan. 23/10/2011 Participant in Kyoto’s Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Ages). Delayed by a day due to rain, Jidai Matsuri took place with a parade of around 2000 Japanese in traditional costumes. Parade travels from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. Costumes include Meji Restoration, Muromachi, to Heian Period

Gion Matsuri, Kyoto

Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Japan. 23/10/2011 Participant in Kyoto’s Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Ages). Delayed by a day due to rain, Jidai Matsuri took place with a parade of around 2000 Japanese in traditional costumes. Parade travels from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. Costumes include Meji Restoration, Muromachi, to Heian Period

Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Japan. 23/10/2011 Participant in Kyoto’s Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Ages). Delayed by a day due to rain, Jidai Matsuri took place with a parade of around 2000 Japanese in traditional costumes. Parade travels from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. Costumes include Meji Restoration, Muromachi, to Heian Period

Imperial Palace, Kyoto, Japan. 23/10/2011 Participant in Kyoto’s Jidai Matsuri (Festival of Ages). Delayed by a day due to rain, Jidai Matsuri took place with a parade of around 2000 Japanese in traditional costumes. Parade travels from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine. Costumes include Meji Restoration, Muromachi, to Heian Period

Kyoto, Japan

Tokyo

Sanja Matsuri, Asakusa, Tokyo. Small mikoshi for small children. The whole family takes part in the celebration.

Sanja Matsuri, Asakusa, Tokyo. Sometimes a different angle gives you a new perspective on a festival. Tightly packed, pushing and shoving, teams of men and women carry mikoshi towards Asakusa Shrine.

Fukagawa Fetival aka water throwing festival held at Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine, Tokyo, Japan on Sunday Aug 16, 2014. Water thrown at mikoshi (portable shirines) carried through streets in one of the great Shinto festivals of Tokyo.

Fukagawa Fetival aka water throwing festival held at Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine, Tokyo, Japan on Sunday Aug 17, 2014. Water thrown at mikoshi (portable shirines) carried through streets in one of the great Shinto festivals of Tokyo.

Maman (1999) i bronze, stainless steel, and marble sculpture of spider by the artist Louise Bourgeois at the base of Mori Tower. Roppongi, Tokyo

Godzilla Statue beside the Toho Hibiya Building, Tokyo, Japan.

Shinkansen Bullet train and Tokyo Forum Building

Dancing in the streets at the 33rd Asakusa Samba Festival in Tokyo, Japan. Sat. 14 August 2014. 22 teams including local Japanese and Brazilians bring Samba to the roads around Asakusa Shrine. Watched by around 500,000 spectators.

Dancing in the streets at the 33rd Asakusa Samba Festival in Tokyo, Japan. Sat. 14 August 2014. 22 teams including local Japanese and Brazilians bring Samba to the roads around Asakusa Shrine. Watched by around 500,000 spectators.

St. Mary’s Cathedral Tokyo, designed by Japanese architect Tange Kenzo (dedicated in 1964)

The climbing season for Mt. Fuji runs July 1 to September 14. Thousands climb the trail at night to see the dawn from the summit.

The climbing season for Mt. Fuji runs July 1 to September 14. Thousands climb the trail at night to see the dawn from the summit.

The highlight of October’s Shuri Castle Festival is a lavish recreation of the 1800 Sappou Coronation, which formalized the Chinese Emperor’s recognition of the Ryukyu King. This was particularly important for the islanders as it gave them both protection and the right to trade with China.

Elderly Okinawan lady dancing with a bottle of Awamori balanced on her head. Ryukyu Mura, Okinawa

Shuri Castle has two major annual festivals. On each of the first three days of the year, a New Year Ceremony is held in the courtyard followed by performances of Ryukyu Dance. A local woman and man are chosen to play the parts of the Ryukyu King and Queen at the ceremony.

Okinawa Rail known locally as the Yanbaru Kuina. Endemic to Okinawa and critically endangered.

Ryukyu dance performance at Shuri Castle.

Zakimi Castle, Yomitan, Okinawa.

Shuri Castle, Okinawa, japan

Surfing at Maeda in Yomitan

Cape Manza, a popular diving spot, Okinawa, Japan.

Mushaama Harvest Festival Hateruma Island Yaeyamas, Okinawa, Japan

traditional Bingata Kimono at Shuri Castle, Okinawa, Japan

A chondara is like an Okinawan clown that takes part in Eisa, encouraging both the dancers and the crowd.

Kayaking in the mangroves, Ginoza.

A young girl plays a traditional conch shell horn at the Eisa dance along Kokusai Street

2000 kilometers south of Tokyo, lies the emerald green island of Ishigaki. Surrounded by crystal-clear waters, coral reefs and white sand beaches, Ishigaki has become a heavenly retreat for urban Japanese. Cramped trains and concrete cityscapes are replaced by palm lined roads and ocean panoramas. Tsukuji Beach is a quiet stretch of sand that could best be described as paradise.

Humpback Whale Breaches off the coast of Ie Island, Okinawa, Japan

Narihiro Shinjo – Uechi Ryu Karate, Yomitan, Okinawa, Japan.

On April 3rd 2014 (3rd day of 3rd month in Okinawa calendar) Yuta (priestess) Ayako Toguchi conducts a special ceremony in a sea cave called Sururu Gama on the coast of Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan